This is a Harry Potter & Familiar of Zero Cross Over Fanfiction Only.
I had to admit that the rest of the trip was no longer as boring as I expected. The jokes revolved around the use of the terms magic and magical. I was smiling as I hand back the magazine.
"So Neville I think we should go out and block these windows, Hermoine, Luna you need your privacy to change into your clothes." Hermoine looked at me and began to look at Neville.
"Will you have enough time to change your clothes?" I decided that since they saw my summoning charm why not do something again.
I simply directed the magic around myself and in a matter of seconds, my clothes changed. They all stared at me like they never seen a person do that before, Hermoine I could understand but Neville and Luna?
"See nothing a little transfiguration can't fix, now come on Neville. We need to give these ladies some privacy and try to keep other people from trying to peek at them changing." I slowly pushed Neville along till we were standing out in front of the windows.
"I am telling you, it is really easy to do if you have enough practice doing transfiguration spells Neville, you mean to tell me you never saw a person transfigure their clothes before?"
He began shaking his head, "My grandma just sprang the surprise I could cast spells. Honestly, my family believed I was a squib for the longest time. Had my grandmother not dropped that tea kettle I wouldn't even be here."
I looked at him and I decided to ask him where was his parents in all this, big mistake on my part. "My parents were tortured for so long they are insane, little more than living husks really. I was raised by my grandmother. My wand actually was my father's."
I felt really bad having asked him something that made him remember that. "I am sorry Neville, I should know better than ask other people about their parents. My parents were killed by He who must not be named. I was raised by a great man who adopted me, but I was separated from him by unforeseen complications, so I pretty much feel like an orphan."
Neville smiled and began to pat me on my shoulder. "It's alright Harry, you couldn't possibly know. I know the feeling, don't worry about it. The thing I worry about is which house will I be sorted into."
I had read a few history books and theories about the sorting, I decided to help him feel better, especially since I asked that question. "I somehow feel that you will more than likely be sorted into the house your parents were sorted into. Are you sure your wand and you are compatible?"
Neville looked at me and then took out his wand, "What do you mean Harry? How could I not be compatible with this wand? It's my father's after all."
I remember something that I heard while Ollivander kept on trying to find a wand that accepted me, I decided to tell Neville what he told me. "A wand chooses the wizard, not the other way around, a wand is made with magically grown wood, and the piece of a magical beast, everything from the hair of a unicorn to the heartstring of a dragon. This means you wand in all respects is a living person."
He looked at my ring, and I knew the question he was going to ask. "Yes, that applies to my ring too. I didn't choose my ring, my ring chose me."
As soon as the train came to a stop Hermoine and Luna came out of the compartment, and Neville, well I did him a favor and transfigured his clothes too.
As we got out of the train I saw Hagrid waving at us, screaming that all first-year students should gather to where they were he was. The most embarrassing thing was that I already had a feeling he would do something like that. Being the Groundskeeper he loved the castle as much as some of the ghosts.
"There you are, Harry, come on over, we have a while to get to the castle, guide your little friends that are with you over here." I went to a nearby carriage and to them, it looked like I was touching air, well to all except Luna and me.
"Sorry, maybe next year. Thanks for coming I do appreciate it my dear friend." I went towards Hagrid and Luna began to look at me.
"You really do like Thestrals don't you?" As we walked towards Hagrid I told her that the Thestral was the house symbol for my family. So, of course, I like them, I told her that once we got some free time I would introduce her to my friend's flock and she might even get to play with some of her kids too.
The smile on her face told me that really made her happy. As I got to the boats I waited for everyone to get in their boats, in the end, Neville, Ron, and Hagrid ended up in the boat I was on.
To them it was an awe-inspiring occasion, to me it was taking the scenic route to get home. I saw the castle, I know it's majestic looking, just that after living in the place as long as I have you sort of getting used to it. The same thing is going to be true for them after some time.
As soon as I got off the boat I heard Ron talking with Neville. "I heard that you have to fight a troll in order to be sorted into your house. I don't know how am I going to defeat something like that."
I looked at Ron and I couldn't help but smile, "Oh, I wish, I however know I happen to read a few books, the way that it works it goes something like this, one of the Founders took off his own hat and enchanted it. Now that hat sorts the students into one of the four houses."
"These houses are like families, we are going to live, study and even do things that influence all in the house. Good things earn you something called house points, bad things makes you lose house points."
"In the end of the year, the house with the most points earns the House Cup, which in reality it's just bragging rights. The house that wins the cup pretty much is saying we are the best."
That is when the ghost came through the walls. I got so used to it I didn't even think of it as weird. "As I was saying Baron, we can't have Peeves torture the new students. You know that he is more than likely going to try to bully the first years."
I looked at the Friar and I didn't like what I was hearing, Nicholas looked at him and began shaking his head, "Oh, come now, he is a fellow ghost, everyone deserves a chance to prove that they have changed their ways. If we don't give Peeves the chance how will he show others that if he had reformed."
Almost like it was his cue Peeves came flying into the place where we were waiting. "Oh, new students, what fun! I am going to enjoy teaching them why they should fear me. What should I do? Tie their laces together, steal their clothes and leave them with only their underwear. So many choice and so little time."
I stepped right in front of him and the one that suddenly became afraid was not the students but Peeves. "You forgot so soon, maybe I should give you a harsher punishment than last time. How would you like to be the first poltergeist to be in pieces?"
He immediately saw that I was not happy to see how he planned to treat the first year students. He did something that not even I expected, he turned even more pale than usual and began crying. "I was just kidding, it was a simple joke Lord Potter, honestly I wouldn't harm a hair on their precious little heads."
He took off crying and at least the Bloody Baron, and the Fat Friar were actually smiling at me as they left. "Honestly what is keeping Professor McGonnagal it's not like her to be this late."
I had to agree with Hagrid this was most unusual which means there was trouble. Considering how boring the boat ride was I would actually welcome a little trouble. As I began walking up the long stairs I saw a rather stern woman walking towards me and the rest of the students.
"So Harry did you finish explaining to your fellow students the sorting? I know you, you would not let them just stay there worrying about it. Where are you going? Expecting some trouble? Sorry to disappoint you, but the only trouble was in the kitchen, some of the cooks were arguing about the menu."
I began shaking my head as I heard her say that and began following her as we walked back to the rest of the students. "They are arguing about the menu again? I told them a thousand times that all the food they prepare is amazing, I honestly think Dumbledore is missing a gold mine of an opportunity, but he ignored my idea of opening a Hogwarts named Restaurant. The food here could put cordon bleu chefs to shame."
She looked at me with her usual stern look, "I keep telling you that this is a school, and the school board of governors has rejected that idea, they said that people would confuse our school with the restaurant thinking they are one and the same."
She began to shake her head, "Honestly Harry could you possibly be more mercenary in your line of thinking?" I looked at the group as they began to actually stare at us like we were more strange than the ghosts that were still looking at me and McGonnagal. I walked towards Hagrid but not without telling her that I was only trying to help provide more income to make it easier on the teachers.
She walked behind me and I never could understand why she and the other teachers didn't realize that I was offering them some free business advice, I usually charge for doing that, but do they appreciate my kindness? No, they don't.
"Since Mr. Potter here was kind enough to explain how things are going to proceed I see no reason to keep you waiting, form a single line and follow me."
Everyone did as she told them, even Draco and his friends which were expected. They wouldn't want to cause trouble out in the open or in front of the Deputy Headmistress no less.
As we walked our group actually was followed by a few ghosts, Neville, Hermione, and Luna were in the segment of students I was. I kept looking around and Hermoine was the only one to ask me what in the world was I looking.
"Hermoine he is probably admiring the hall, I mean it is impressive how the roof is enchanted to look like the sky looks outside."
I appreciated Neville saying that but in reality, I was looking for someone rather than the hall itself. "Actually Neville I was hoping I found a friend of mine, she is pretty good in knowing what is going in the castle. I simply can't find her, I hope she isn't back in the girl's bathroom. It's is just embarrassing to have to go down there to talk with her."
Both Luna and Hermoine had a shocked look on their faces. "My friend is a ghost, and she died in that bathroom when she was a student. I actually went down there to look for something. I am still looking, I guess it will take me some time to figure it out."
I looked around and that is when someone brought in the hat, it was sitting on a stool and I was not buying his whole sitting still and pretending to be a hat. I had plenty of conversation with him, I know better than that, I know he is only doing it to surprise the new students.
Sure enough, the brim of the hat began to open and the song began.
"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you have a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
Professor McGonnagal took a scroll and began to read names from it. I was actually worried about where my new friends would be placed. Neville was sorted into Gryffindor, no surprise there he told me his parents were in that House when they were students.
Luna was sorted in Ravenclaw, and so was Hermoine. Again I was not surprised. Luna was always curious or so I came to believe from the short time I spent with her, and Hermoine loves to read as much as I do.
I was thinking this when McGonnagal called my name. I honestly felt like an animal being put on display at the zoo. The entire hall became quiet, and I began to walk towards the stool.
"So Harry you are trying to get a living girlfriend, what would poor Myrtle say about that?"
I began to close my eyes and focus on the hat on my head. 'Nice to see that you have not changed since our last chat hat. For a second there I was worried spending so much time with Dumbledore you would lose your wonderfully original sense of humor."
The hat began to laugh, "Perish the though but as much as I enjoy chatting with you I have to sort you in a house, I still have other kids to sort after you. You are Brave of that there is no doubt, Smart well that is obvious to all of us who know you, Loyal to a fault, and Cunning as they come. You are able to hide how brutal you can be almost from anyone."
"I see Morgana finally found you, I knew that old raven would find you eventually. Well since you value knowledge so much, YOU BETTER BE RAVENCLAW!"
I swear I saw the disappointed look on the faces of the kids sitting on two of the tables near me. One was the one where the kids that got sorted to live in the Gryffindor House, the other was Hufflepuff. The only one that actually seemed relieved were the Slytherins for some reason I was not aware.
I took off the hat and placed it on the stool. "Nice talking with you Hat, maybe I will visit you again when I got some free time."
